Cup assembly with retaining mechanism

Abstract

A drinking cup assembly having a cup having an open end, a cap adapted to enclose the open end, the cap having a drinking spout and an air vent and a pair of mating surfaces that align with the drinking spout and the air vent, and a removable flow control valve adapted to engage the mating surfaces. The cap has a retaining mechanism that in conjunction with one mating surface secures in place the flow control element when not in use.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A drinking cup assembly comprising: 
       a cup having an open end;  
       a cap for enclosing the open end, the cap having a drinking spout, the cap having a bottom surface with a pair of sleeves extending therefrom, one of the pair of sleeves being aligned with the drinking spout; and  
       a removable flow control valve having two valve portions, each valve portion being engagable with a different one of the pair of sleeves, wherein the positioning of the valve portion aligned with the spout is selectively further away from the level of liquid in the cup than the other valve portion aligned with the other of the pair of sleeves, thereby minimizing the amount of residual liquid in the cup.  
     
     
       2. The drinking cup assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve engaging the valve portion aligned with the spout is recessed into the cap to enable removal of substantially all of liquid in the cup. 
     
     
       3. The drinking cup assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of the pair of sleeves is cylindrical. 
     
     
       4. The drinking cup assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the cap further includes a vent. 
     
     
       5. The drinking cup assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the other one of the pair sleeves is aligned with the vent. 
     
     
       6. A drinking assembly comprising: 
       a container for holding a liquid having an open end;  
       a cap being removably positioned on the open end, the cap having a bottom surface with a valve sleeve extending therefrom; and  
       a flow control element having a first valve portion,  
       the improvement comprising:  
       a mechanism formed on the bottom surface of the cap, wherein the mechanism cooperates with the valve sleeve to retain the flow control element during non-use.  
     
     
       7. The drinking assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the mechanism and the valve sleeve engage the flow control element to retain the flow control element during non-use. 
     
     
       8. The drinking assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the valve sleeve is a pair of valve sleeves. 
     
     
       9. The drinking assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the mechanism and the valve sleeve form a space therebetween. 
     
     
       10. The drinking assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the flow control element can be positioned in the space. 
     
     
       11. The drinking assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the mechanism and the valve sleeve frictionally engage the flow control element during non-use. 
     
     
       12. The drinking assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the mechanism is a protrusion extending downward from the bottom surface of the cap. 
     
     
       13. The drinking assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the protrusion is a shape selected from the group consisting of a square, a rectangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, a cylinder, a pin, and an arcuate surface. 
     
     
       14. The drinking assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the protrusion has a vertical extent that is almost the same as a width of the flow control element. 
     
     
       15. The drinking assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the protrusion has a vertical extent that is the same as a width of the flow control element. 
     
     
       16. The drinking assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the protrusion has a vertical extent that is slightly larger that a width of the flow control element. 
     
     
       17. The drinking assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the protrusion is a pair of protrusions. 
     
     
       18. A drinking assembly comprising: 
       a container for holding a liquid having an open end;  
       a cap being removably positioned on the open end, the cap having a bottom surface with a pair of valve sleeves extending therefrom; and  
       a flow control element having a first valve portion and a second valve portion,  
       the improvement comprising:  
       a mechanism formed on the bottom surface of the cap, wherein the mechanism cooperates with one of said pair of valve sleeves to retain the flow control element during non-use.  
     
     
       19. The drinking assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the mechanism is a protrusion extending downward from the bottom surface of the cap.